


Lost & Found

by littlelino (taeyeongie)



Series: little!ateez [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst with a Happy Ending, Caregiver!Hongjoong, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, Little Space, Little!San, M/M, Multi, caregiver!jongho, caregiver!mingi, caregiver!seonghwa, caregiver!wooyoung, caregiver!yeosang, caregiver!yunho, san is babie, they all have special nicknames for sannie!!, we need more little!ateez
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:27:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23210959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taeyeongie/pseuds/littlelino
Summary: San loses track of Shiber and it causes him to drop into little space.
Relationships: Choi San/Everyone
Series: little!ateez [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1668769
Kudos: 195





	Lost & Found

**Author's Note:**

> everyone’s nicknames for san:  
> hongjoong- kitten  
> seonghwa- bunny  
> yunho- sweetie  
> yeosang- baby  
> mingi- angel  
> wooyoung- baby boy  
> jongho- sannie-ya
> 
> san’s nicknames for everyone:  
> hongjoong- joongie  
> seonghwa- hwa  
> yunho- yunnie  
> yeosang- ddangie  
> mingi- mingky  
> wooyoung- youngie  
> jongho- jjong  
> *he calls himself sannie or whatever nickname that hyung calls him

San has never felt such unadulterated panic in his life. He's been nearly mobbed at airports, he's dealt with antis and stalkers, he's even made Seonghwa angry before. All of that pales in comparison to the fear he feels right now.

San's been tearing apart the dorm for two hours, and he _still_ can't find Shiber.

At first, it's just like one of those, "oh, I must have misplaced it," moments. But then twenty minutes go by and San has found _nothing_. Another ten minutes is all San needs to descend fully into panic mode, and another half an hour after that sends him into little space.

He's currently sat in the corner of the main room, hugging his knees to his chest and trying his best to think of where he may have left his favourite stuffed animal, only to come up with more panic every time, mind too scrambled to form a coherent thought.

He isn't sure when the others are supposed to be home; they've gone out together, San willingly staying behind to catch up on well-needed rest.

"I'll be fine, hyung," San insists, pushing Seonghwa out the door. "I promise I'll call if I need anything."

"Okay, if you're sure," Seonghwa says. "We'll only be out a few hours. Mingi was complaining about getting cabin fever."

San smiles. "Don't worry about me."

"Be back soon, bunny." Seonghwa smiles. San wrinkles his nose cutely.

"I'm not little right now," he responds. Seonghwa chuckles.

"I know. I just like making you blush."

 _Blushing_ San certainly is. He rolls his eyes despite the heat rising in his cheeks and shoves Seonghwa. "Leave."

But now, all he wants is them to be _home_ , because he needs to find Shiber; if he doesn't, that means Shiber is gone forever; if he's lost Shiber, he won't be able to sleep tonight, or ever again, and—

"San-ah! We're home!" Hongjoong's voice calls out.

"We got dinner!" Jongho adds.

"H-Hyung," San chokes out, and he isn't sure when he started crying, but he definitely is now.

In an instant, all seven of his group-mates are there, Seonghwa and Wooyoung the first to kneel down in front of the trembling boy.

"Hey, bunny," Seonghwa says soothingly, and the familiar nickname has relief washing over San. "Can you tell hyungie what's wrong, bun?"

"I-I," San sobs, shaking his head. He tangles his fingers in his hair and _pulls_ , but then Wooyoung is grabbing at his hands, making him let go.

"Shh, it's okay, Sannie," Wooyoung whispers, squeezing San's hand in his own. "Deep breaths, baby boy. Don't try to talk right now."

San sucks in a few more shaky breaths. "C-Can't find—"

The thought makes him start crying all over again, but Seonghwa is quick to console him, pulling the shorter boy onto his lap, Wooyoung rubbing gentle circles on the small of San's back.

"M-Missing," the blond manages.

"Missing?" Jongho repeats, just to make sure they all heard correctly. "Is something missing, Sannie-ya?"

San nods weakly. Seonghwa frowns. "What's missing, bunny?"

Unable to find the words, San makes some sort of gesture, like he's hugging himself.

Hongjoong is the first to get it. "Shiber? You can't find Shiber, kitten?"

San nods again, fresh tears welling up in his shining brown eyes.

"Oh, sweetie," Yunho says.

"It's gonna be all right, angel," Mingi assures the little, uncharacteristically serious, and there's no question he cares about San just as much as the rest of them.

"Where have you looked, baby?" Yeosang asks quietly.

"Everywhere!" San exclaims, burying his face in his hands. "H-Hyungie, I-I don't know, I just—I c-can't—"

"It's all right, bunny, shh," Seonghwa mumbles, pressing soft kisses to San's neck. "We'll find him, I promise."

"C'mon, let's start looking," Mingi says as he stands up. Yeosang and Jongho follow suit, and Hongjoong trails after them once he's sure San is at least a little better, but Yunho continues to hover behind Wooyoung. The tallest has always had a soft spot for San; they all do, obviously—Seonghwa being the first person San confessed to about being a little, and Wooyoung who everyone thinks is probably more than a best friend to San, and even Yeosang is especially protective of his fellow 99er—but Yunho feels his and San's bond as roommates gives them a different connection, something special.

"We'll find him, sweetie," Yunho says, squeezing San's hand tightly. "It'll all be okay."

The four of them spend an agonising ten more minutes like this until finally, Jongho emerges, triumphant, from the laundry room.

"Shiber!" San exclaims, jumping up and crushing Jongho in a hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Jongho smiles. "Of course, Sannie-ya."

"Where was he?" Wooyoung asks.

"In a basket of laundry," Mingi responds.

"But we don't know how he got there," Hongjoong adds.

"I think San asked me to clean him," Seonghwa says. "I must've left him there..."

"It's not your fault, hyung." Yeosang puts a hand on Seonghwa's arm.

San lets go of Jongho and immediately squishes Shiber to his chest. It kind of looks like he's trying to kill the poor thing, but it's okay, because he's just too cute.

"Thank you!" he says to them brightly, tears long forgotten as a dimpled grin forms on his face. The others coo, and Wooyoung wraps San up in his arms.

"Cuddle pile!" Mingi shouts, and then he's on top of the other two. Yunho is next, pouncing like a jungle cat, which has San screeching in delight. Yeosang follows, but he's much less aggressive than Yunho, simply tucking himself under the tallest's arm. Jongho shrugs and joins, managing to wriggle between Mingi and San, but not before pulling in Seonghwa, who collapses unceremoniously on top of Mingi.

Hongjoong laughs fondly at his boys—his family.

"Joongie hyung!" San calls out, and Hongjoong smiles.

"Coming, kitten."

**Author's Note:**

> hi guys!!  
> so i’m really excited to start putting out little short stories like this!   
> i’ve been kind of hitting really bad writer’s block lately (and my mental health isn’t really in a great spot with the whole pandemic and everything i care about getting cancelled), so i decided this would be the perfect way to get back in the groove!   
> if you follow me or have read any of my stories on wattpad, please know that they are going to be on hold indefinitely until my life evens out a little more. the same goes for my abo fanfic on archive.   
> thank you all so much for reading!


End file.
